CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – There won’t be a property tax tax increase in the new Clarksville City Budget which was approved by a close vote of 6-5 on first reading by the City Council Thursday. The one raise that remained in the budget proposal was a 3 percent wage increase for city employees.
Going into Thursday’s session, Mayor Kim McMillan had proposed a tax rate of $1.30 per $100 of assessed property value which is 12 cents above the current property tax rate of $1.18. McMillan’s original city budget proposal carried an 18-cent tax increase.
Over a number of recent city budget meetings, many council members said their constituents were opposed to any property tax increase. As a cost savings, funding for the planned Clarksville Fire Rescue Station #11 near Exit 1 on I-24 was one of the items taken out of the budget.
There are still some issues with the budget that council members have stated they want worked out which are expected be taken up before the final vote on the budget’s approval at its second reading.